Letters to the Editor 10/17/13

“Is it timeless or just old?” asks Zach Baliva in his thought-provoking review of Hoogland’s production of Inherit the Wind (“Does Inherit the Wind say something today?” Oct. 10). The answer: just old, and it never was very good. The play suffers because the two protagonists are so unequal. One is gentle but firm, wise and reasonable, the other pompous and stupid, nasty and duplicitous. One you like; one you hate. This may provide propaganda for Lawrence and Lee but it is a burden for directors and actors trying to make good theater. The audience cannot help but choose sides before any argument is presented.

The authors also meanly caricature the townspeople of Hillsboro. The Christians there are, to a man, ignorant, mean and bigoted. This is a libel on Dayton, Tenn., a town that H.L. Menken found to be full of charm and even beauty with no evidence of a poisonous spirit.

The most curious thing about this bad play is that today on the evolution issue, the roles are reversed! Those who challenge the reigning Darwinian paradigm are frequently met with the ignorant fury of the fictional folks of Hillsboro.

One final comment: I don’t understand the knock on Sen. Cruz. Isn’t the point of the play that the contrarian voice should not be stifled?

John Simpson Springfield

NO ROOM AT THE INN

The city council of Springfield in its inimitable fashion has denied approval of a zoning change allowing locating the Helping Hands organization to a building previously occupied by Ace Sign Company. This location, while located next to a retirement facility, is an ideal location for this agency.

The objections appear to be the same ones that have caused the neediest and homeless of Springfield to be shuffled from one location to another by a city ordinance of some sort. No one wants the homeless. There have been locations touted that would take the homeless out of the downtown area and away from the resources that help support them. Most of the folks are homeless due to overcrowding in mental facilities, housing or overflow facilities or through loss of employment. Some are military veterans who deserve better.

It appears the city leaders want to hide problems instead of correcting them. Why not just buy a field and put them in it with a fence around it? It worked for Hitler!Michael AbramsSpringfield

BEG TO DIFFER ON DEMS

Like Jeff Davis of Dawson, I am fed up with the gridlock and irresponsible refusal to govern which characterize our current Congress (“Letters,” Oct. 10).

However, I must disagree with the notion that voting both parties out is the answer. While the mainstream media like to or feel they must portray battles in Washington as “he said, she said,” “both parties do it” and “no one is innocent,” the Republicans, specifically Tea Party Republicans, are more to blame by far.

Those Republicans are using their power to shut down the government and potentially force default on Treasury notes to keep millions of Americans from being able to buy health insurance. Those congressmen correctly realize that if previously uninsurable Americans can buy affordable health insurance under something called Obamacare, they will have a high opinion of this “Obama” and stop voting for his opponents.

What have Democrats done which is comparable? Well, they forced Obamacare through in the first place, but had the votes to do so. There was nothing illegitimate about Obamacare’s enactment. The law doesn’t help them or their campaign contributors, except indirectly – Obamacare is a health-insurance regime benefiting middle- and lower-middle-class Americans.

The Democrats also filibustered a large number of George W. Bush’s unqualified judicial nominees, at least until they compromised with Senate Republicans and let many through. Never though, have the Democrats shut down the government and threatened default to obstruct a law passed over their objections. Not even close.

James Carville once said about this issue: “There is a difference between speeding and highway robbery.” Maybe once we have rid Congress of the highway robbers, we can talk about how to remove the speeders.Eric FisherSpringfield